Stewart genealogical haplotree
About the Stewart family
The Stewart family, descended from Walter FitzAlan (d 1177), High Steward of Scotland and ancestor of the Stewart kings, originated in Brittany. Walter, a minor landholder in England, arrived in Scotland during the reign of David I and by the early 13th century the family had adopted the surname Stewart. Genetically the Stewart family is part of the R1b grouping.
Genetic genealogy research into the family is benefitting from the large number of test takers and the participation of documented male line descendants from four different sons of King Robert II (d 1390). The first significant discovery of a distinct SNP carried by one of the branches of the family was made in 2014, when geneticist Jim Wilson identified S781 as having been formed in Sir John Stewart of Bonkyl (d 1298).
This was probably the first SNP progenitor to be identified through genetic genealogy and facilitated research into descendants of Walter Stewart (d 1327), 6th High Steward, who both fought in the Battle of Bannockburn and was named in the Declaration of Arbroath. We now know that his descendants carry the SNP Z38845 and since his only male line descents are through his son King Robert II, all those who test positive for Z38845 have Robert II as an ancestor.
So far, male line descendants of four of Robert’s sons – Robert III; Robert, Duke of Albany; Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, known as ‘The Wolf of Badenoch’; and Sir John Stewart Sheriff of Bute – have taken Y-DNA tests. This has resulted in the discovery of a number of SNPs, including SNP ZZ52, carried by descendants of Robert III, SNP BY184394, carried by descendants of Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, SNP Z17582, carried by descendants of ‘The Wolf of Badenoch’, and SNP FTT46, carried by descendants of Sir John Stewart Sheriff of Bute. Because it is not yet known in which generation these SNPs were formed, we cannot be certain that all descendants of these individuals will test positive for the SNP. As more individuals test and the DNA coverage of tests increases, more branches of the family are being discovered.
Over 100 male line descendants of Walter Stewart have been identified and, if known female relatives and relevant matches found through atDNA testing are taken into account, this number would be very much larger.